Queensland roads: Federal government to spend $730m in north

Traffic on a main road in Beenleigh in the federal seat of Forde, south of Brisbane, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013Image: AAP

The federal government will allocate $730 million to upgrade roads in north Queensland in the budget due next week.

The project will cover 700km and seal or upgrade current roads, concentrating on strategic corridors.

The spending includes $200 million for Townsville to Tennant Creek, $190 million for Yeppoon to Mount Isa, $190 million for Cooktown to Weipa, $100 million for Townsville to Roma and $50 million for Cairns to the Northern Territory border.

"These road upgrades will help North Queensland recover from some of the worst floods in its history by better connecting western parts of Queensland to the coast," the coalition government said in a statement on Wednesday.